Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Barinas

For one person, living is cheaper in Barinas: $52.7 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $19,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Barinas

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$52.7

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Barinas

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Barinas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $53 in Barinas, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Barinas $53

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $79 in Barinas, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Barinas $79

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $105 in Barinas, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Barinas $105

Medellin costs about 3111% more than Barinas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Barinas is 96% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.3K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.6K

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 COP 5,705

$0.98 VES 879

80.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,601

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,950

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,401

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,282

$1.12 VES 996

73.21%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,905

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.3K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.1K

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,937

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,797

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,409

$1.17 VES 1,045

95.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,813

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,521

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,780

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,104

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.4K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,690

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,760

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,811

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,836

$2.97 VES 2,653

-39.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,878

$5.09 VES 4,547

-58.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.3K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,119

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.4K COP 111.2M

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$34.1K COP 110.3M

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$178 COP 574.1K

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$13.89 COP 44.9K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.3K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.5K

$9.99 VES 8,914

319.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.3K

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$790 COP 2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.9K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.4K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.9K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 319.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Barinas: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Barinas

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Barinas

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Barinas

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Barinas

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Barinas

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Barinas

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Barinas

–

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇻🇪 Barinas

🕒 Local time

21:10 9:10 PM

22:10 10:10 PM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

397,279

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

10,000 VES = 11.2 USD

10,000 VES = 9.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VES, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,230 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,626 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 893 VES (1,000 VES = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 1,002 VES (10,000 VES = 9.98 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Barinas 650 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Barinas

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Medellin vs Barinas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,692 in Medellin, $53 in Barinas – Barinas comes out roughly 97% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $79 in Barinas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $53 in Barinas. That makes Barinas about 97% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 2878% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Barinas, where all-in costs run around $53, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Barinas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $53 in Barinas to $1,692 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.